Not Everything Is Uniform
by xlizardbreath
Summary: AU. Lucy is your average high school girl with a huge crush on one of her brother's friends. However, everything is not always the way it seems and with a brother like Max and a best friend like Prudence it's always best to keep an open mind. One-shot.


**Title**: Not Everything Is Uniform

**Author**: twicexshy

**Rating**: PG

**Fandom**: Across the Universe

**Warnings**: girlxgirl; boyxboy; ooc-ness

**Summary**: AU. Lucy is your average high school girl with a huge crush on one of her brother's friends. However, not everything is always the way it seems and with a brother like Max and a best friend like Prudence its always best to keep an open mind.

**Disclaimer**: Across the Universe is Julie Taymor's brainchild. I own nothing.

**Notes**: I'd been listening to the song "School Uniform" by The Pipettes and this idea just came to me. Plus, I wanted a reason to write something relatively girlxgirl since I've never attempted that. This, like all of my stories, is not beta-ed because I am simply too lazy to find one and this is all for shits and giggles anyway.

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It was the fall of her sophomore year. She had her trusty sidekick and incredibly blunt best friend, Prudence, at her side. Together the two of them made scathing remarks about the more vapid girls in their class as well as the boys. And generally wreaked havoc upon most of the people who crossed their paths. The only person seemingly free from their antics was Lucy's older brother, Max. Well he was generally free.

"Oh, you're here again, Prudence? Using study time with Lucy as an excuse to see me?" The older Carrigan grinned cheshirely at the brunette as he made his way around the girls who were splayed out on the floor of the living room with paper, books, and pencils. She just rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. "Get real. Stop hitting on younger girls, you perv." Prudence snickered into her friends shoulder before giving Max a pointed look as he pulled the front door open. "Going out to break more hearts?" This time it was his sister making the teasing remark and the male simply smiled at his sister before exiting.

"Sometimes I really do wonder where he goes off to all the time, you know?" Lucy ran a hand through her long flaxen tresses, sitting up and peering around at the mess they'd made with a groan. She wasn't too fond of schoolwork but she took it more seriously than her brother did apparently.

Prudence just gave her friend a sort of half-smile before sitting up herself. "Maybe if you found out you'd wish you hadn't." It was just like Prudence to say something like that. She loved both of the Carrigan siblings, but knew Max could be a little off-kilter with his personal endeavors. And though she knew how much Lucy loved Max she wondered how the younger blonde would take it.

Taking in a breath the blonde girl just made a funny face at Prudence before reaching for a pillow on the couch and smacking the brunette in the face with it. "Shut up. You make it sound like he does all these shady, horrible things. He's just Max."

"Oww!" Prudence couldn't help but laugh a little even as she was thumped in the face with a pillow. But she managed to recover and regain her composure. What Lucy said had hit a nerve in the girl. She didn't mean to sound like she was judging Max, but she knew something about her best friend's brother she wasn't sure would sit too well with Lucy. She didn't want to see either one of them hurt, but knew it was bound to happen.

"I wonder if Jude's home…" The sound of Lucy's voice brought Prudence back to the waking world and she blinked a couple of times at Lucy before shaking her head a little. Lucy wasn't the type of girl to go ga-ga for some guy, but she was a bit taken by a new student. A guy in her brother's class who came all the way from Liverpool. She'd seen him a few times with her brother in the cafeteria and had developed quite the uncharacteristic crush. She'd hoped her brother would eventually invite him over or something, but it never happened. Maybe they weren't as close as she'd hoped.

Prudence simply sighed as she leaned back against the bottom of the couch they had been working around. She was the type of girl to keep it all bottled up and next to never let anyone in on her secrets whatever they were. She glanced over at her friend, Lucy, looking ever so slightly moony about her current crush and gave a slight shake of her head. The blonde had never been like this, but ever since she'd seen Jude and had the few encounters with him she was head over heels.

At school the next day, Lucy discovered she had Jude in her Chemistry class. She grinned to herself and purposefully sat beside him. "Hello." She offered the brunette a winning smile. Sparkling Colgate teeth and all. Jude turned to her, a wry smile on his lips as he nodded to the girl. "Well 'ello there." His accent wasn't particularly thick, but it was clear as day and for whatever reason made Lucy smirk.

It had been weeks since Lucy decidedly struck up that conversation with Jude in her Chemistry class and had incidentally become the Brit's lab partner. A fact she was indefinitely thrilled about for obvious reasons. And as the time between her and Jude progressed Lucy became more and more interested in the so-called "bloke". He was funny, sweet, and artistic. What more could a girl ask for?

The blonde female, spending more time with her current crush, had neglected her best girlfriend, but Prudence wasn't angry. Actually, the other girl was a whole lot more understanding of Lucy and many others than what was probably deemed normal. Nevertheless, one afternoon after dozens of ditching Prudence for Jude during lunch, Lucy scooted excitedly beside her friend. She had something to tell her. "Jude asked me to go bowling with him." She tried to keep her voice at a normal level, but failed. It was obvious this little fact had her giddy.

Prudence gave her friend a guarded smile before picking a little at her food. Though she forgave Lucy for leaving her behind for Jude she still seemed a bit upset about the whole situation. She had her reasons for being a little disconcerted about Lucy's apparent "date" with Jude, but most of them were less about the fact that she had a crush on her blonde friend and more about her knowledge that Jude's invitation for bowling may have not been a date and Lucy was not aware. Prudence took in a breath and let it out slowly, about to speak

She was cut-off however. "Aww... C'mon Pru. Cant you be happy for me? Maybe we can hook you up with my brother and we can double date." This was of course a joke considering Prudence had never been interested in Max no matter how many times he hit on her. Still Lucy wanted to lighten the other girl's mood which seemed to be a little less than chipper as of late. The reason behind this being lost on Lucy.

The brunette held up a hand and cleared her throat. " I am happy for you, Miss Lucy. It's just..." She trailed off unsure of how to go on. The understanding Prudence had gained even before Lucy had become Jude's lab partner weighed heavily down on her. For a really long time she had wanted to tell Lucy what she'd seen all those weeks ago in the Biology lab during lunch, but she just couldn't bring herself to dash her friend's hopes. It must've been because she really did like Lucy that much. She just wanted the blonde to be happy. And she knew what she had to do.

"Come with me." Prudence stood up and tugged at Lucy's shirt sleeve. "I think you should see something."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at her friend, clearly confused but stood nevertheless. "What's going on Prudence?" She asked in vain because her friend wasn't about to reveal the secret through her words. She coudn't say it. Not after all that time Lucy had spent mooning over Jude. It was better if she just saw it herself. Hopefully, the situation would be the same as last time. Considering Lucy had been spending lunches with Jude now it wasn't like he could be macking her brother in the Bio lab at the same time.

The two girls made their way up to the Biology lab with Lucy asking questions that would go unanswered the whole time. Just as they reached the door, Prudence dashed ahead to peek into the room. The small window of the door giving her just the insight into the darkened room that she needed. She waved for Lucy to come over before gently pushing the cracked door open.

Unready for the sight that lay before her, Lucy made a slight squaking sound before being pulled away. What in the hell was her brother doing sitting atop a lab bench with his hands tangled up in Jude's lovely brown locks? And just why did Jude have a hand slithered halfway up her brother's untucked shirt?

She leaned against the wall just beside the room, hyperventilating. As hard as she tried she doubted she could ever erase the image of her brother and current crush mashing their lips together in what looked to be one of the most passionate games of tonsil hockey she'd ever seen. Lucy let out a shuddering breath before setting her intense blues on Prudence. "How long did you know about this?" She tilted her head in the direction of the lab for emphasis.

Prudence let out a deep sigh. "About a week before you became his lab partner." The brunette bowed her head, knowing she'd probably get it. Lucy would be livid that her friend had let her make a fool out of herself over a boy her perv of a brother had already defiled. Prudence swallowed before braving a look up at the blonde.

Much to her surprise, Lucy seemed calm. "Why didn't you tell me?" She blinked at her friend, a hint of irritation in her voice but laced with genuine curiosity.

"I thought I was doing you a favor. I didn't think you'd want to know." Prudence gave Lucy a sympathetic sort of look.

The blonde nodded thoughtfully before sighing pretty deeply herself and nodding as if in understanding. It was just like Lucy to be this way though. She was logical and quick thinking. Even when things got bad she looked for the best possible way to make them better. To stabilize things, so to speak. She gave a slight shrug. "I guess it's just as well. I should've known." Then she laughed a little before offering Prudence a reassuring smile. She wasn't mad at her best friend for omitting that bit of knowledge until now.

"Besides... I think I've been overlooking someone in my silly obsession with Jude." A flash of a grin crossed the girl's features before she tossed an arm around Prudence's shoulders; a shy smile spreading across said girl's lips. A smile Lucy couldn't help but notice.

The two girls meandered down the hallway some before Lucy stopped them and pushed Prudence up against the wall. "How long?" And this time she wasn't asking about her brother sucking face with Jude. It had all finally clicked. Prudence and the whole Max/Jude situation. The way the girl always seemed to act around her. Why she'd never picked up on it she'd never know. Probably because Prudence was the type to only drop subtle hints.

Lucy didn't wait for Prudence to answer though. Without being her normal logical self the girl pressed up against her friend. She caught the other girl's lips with her own in a stunningly dizzying kiss, her hand reaching up to Prudence's long, straight raven hair.

Caught off-guard by her friend's actions Prudence had her coffee brown hues wide. She almost pushed Lucy away, but not before realizing this was exactly what she had been wanting, aching for, for over a year now. And Lucy had been the one to initiate it. She wrapped her arms greedily around the blonde not wanting to let her go or have this moment end.

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Yes, their school is so lenient two same-sex couples are able to make-out on the same floor without any interruptions from teachers. This is my story. Get out nit-picker!


End file.
